Ooredoo launches global Leo Messi campaign

Doha, June 1, 2014

The campaign includes an international commercial featuring the football skills of Leo Messi and a host of young local talents from across its footprint in Asia and the Mena region, said a statement.

It is supported by a major social media campaign, ‘Simply Do Wonders,’ which encourages young people to upload videos of their football ‘street skills’ to an Instagram account with the hashtag #MeetMessi.

The best local entries will be shared on a dedicated Facebook page and featured on the ‘Simply Do Wonders’ website and the winning entry will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Barcelona to meet Leo Messi and see a major football match.

Dr Nasser Marafih, group CEO, Ooredoo, said: "Across our footprint, from Algeria through to Indonesia and throughout the GCC, football unites people and speaks to their dreams. We're proud that our first global campaign stars our brand ambassador Leo Messi, and seeks to showcase the skills and aspirations of young people around the world."

Leo Messi said: "I'm very pleased to be working with Ooredoo on this campaign, which taps into the wealth of young sporting talent around the world and encourages them to 'Do Wonders'. Together with Ooredoo, I hope we can challenge the contestants to work hard, follow their hearts and become the new generation of global football stars."

The Ooredoo commercial sees the football superstar pit his skills against a team of young players in the heart of a major city - but with an interesting twist fuelled by Ooredoo technology.

One of the aims of the campaign is to demonstrate the links between the Ooredoo brand and Messi's inspirational role at international sports contests like the Fifa World Cup, one of the most viewed events in the world.

Another campaign vision is for Ooredoo to challenge itself to enrich customers and their communities, by uniting people through their love of football and to help support the next generation of sporting stars.

The theme of the advertisement is Ooredoo's role in helping the young footballers take on Messi, the best footballer in the world. It aims to inspire children to realise their dreams and overcome the challenges ahead of them with Ooredoo's support.

It will be aired across a range of pan-Arab, local, Asian and international channels from today (June 1) and will also be screened during some of the major matches of the Fifa World Cup 2014, hosted across a range of social media sites.

In addition to the promotional push, Ooredoo continues to work with the Leo Messi Foundation on its ongoing mobile health clinic programme, which provides healthcare services for remote areas in Indonesia, Myanmar, Algeria, and Tunisia, with dedicated mobile clinics for each country. - TradeArabia News Service